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Mott MN, Goeders NE. Methamphetamine-induced vaginal lubrication in rats. J Sex Med 2023; 20:1145-1152. [PMID: 37291060 DOI: 10.1093/jsxmed/qdad076] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2022] [Revised: 05/03/2023] [Accepted: 05/05/2023] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Based on previous studies of vaginal lubrication as well as our own previously reported interview study of women who self-reported methamphetamine (meth)-induced vaginal lubrication, in the current study we sought to determine the potential dose-response relationship leading to meth-induced vaginal lubrication. We also developed an animal model to study the reported effects and examine potential mechanisms mediating this phenomenon. AIM We sought to characterize the effects of meth on vaginal lubrication in an animal model with the aim of providing a potential framework for new mechanisms that incorporate novel therapeutic agents for the treatment of vaginal dryness. METHODS Vaginal lubrication was measured via insertion of a preweighed, cotton-tipped swab into the vaginal canal of anesthetized rats following treatment with various doses of intravenous (IV) meth, up to 0.96 mg/kg, and after additional pharmacological manipulations, including administration of a nitric oxide synthase inhibitor and an estrogen receptor antagonist. Plasma signaling molecules, including estradiol, progesterone, testosterone, nitric oxide, and vasoactive intestinal polypeptide, were measured immediately before and at 9 time points after IV meth administration. Blood was collected via a previously implanted chronic indwelling jugular catheter and analyzed by use of commercially available kits per the manufacturer's instructions. OUTCOMES Outcomes for this study include the measurement of vaginal lubrication in anesthetized rats following various pharmacological manipulations and plasma levels of various signaling molecules. RESULTS Meth dose-dependently increased vaginal lubrication in anesthetized female rats. Meth significantly increased plasma levels compared to baseline of estradiol (2 and 15 minutes after meth infusion) as well as progesterone, testosterone, and nitric oxide (10 minutes after meth infusion). Also, vasoactive intestinal polypeptide decreased significantly compared to baseline for 45 minutes following meth infusion. Our data further suggest that nitric oxide, but not estradiol, is critical in the production of vaginal secretions in response to meth. CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS This study has far-reaching implications for women who are suffering from vaginal dryness and for whom estrogen therapy is unsuccessful, as the investigation has demonstrated that meth presents a novel mechanism for producing vaginal lubrication that can be targeted pharmacologically. STRENGTHS AND LIMITATIONS This study is, to our knowledge, the first performed to measure the physiological sexual effects of meth in an animal model. Animals were anesthetized when they were administered meth. In an ideal situation, animals would be self-administering the drug to recapitulate better the contingent nature of drug taking; however, this method was not feasible for the study reported here. CONCLUSION Methamphetamine increases vaginal lubrication in female rats through a nitric oxide-dependent mechanism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maggie N Mott
- Department of Pharmacology, Toxicology & Neuroscience, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center-Shreveport, Shreveport, LA, United States
- Louisiana Addiction Research Center, Shreveport, LA, United States
| | - Nicholas E Goeders
- Department of Pharmacology, Toxicology & Neuroscience, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center-Shreveport, Shreveport, LA, United States
- Louisiana Addiction Research Center, Shreveport, LA, United States
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2
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Beacher NJ, Washington KA, Werner CT, Zhang Y, Barbera G, Li Y, Lin DT. Circuit Investigation of Social Interaction and Substance Use Disorder Using Miniscopes. Front Neural Circuits 2021; 15:762441. [PMID: 34675782 PMCID: PMC8523886 DOI: 10.3389/fncir.2021.762441] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2021] [Accepted: 09/16/2021] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Substance use disorder (SUD) is comorbid with devastating health issues, social withdrawal, and isolation. Successful clinical treatments for SUD have used social interventions. Neurons can encode drug cues, and drug cues can trigger relapse. It is important to study how the activity in circuits and embedded cell types that encode drug cues develop in SUD. Exploring shared neurobiology between social interaction (SI) and SUD may explain why humans with access to social treatments still experience relapse. However, circuitry remains poorly characterized due to technical challenges in studying the complicated nature of SI and SUD. To understand the neural correlates of SI and SUD, it is important to: (1) identify cell types and circuits associated with SI and SUD, (2) record and manipulate neural activity encoding drug and social rewards over time, (3) monitor unrestrained animal behavior that allows reliable drug self-administration (SA) and SI. Miniaturized fluorescence microscopes (miniscopes) are ideally suited to meet these requirements. They can be used with gradient index (GRIN) lenses to image from deep brain structures implicated in SUD. Miniscopes can be combined with genetically encoded reporters to extract cell-type specific information. In this mini-review, we explore how miniscopes can be leveraged to uncover neural components of SI and SUD and advance potential therapeutic interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas J. Beacher
- Intramural Research Program, National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Kayden A. Washington
- Intramural Research Program, National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Craig T. Werner
- Intramural Research Program, National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD, United States
- Department of Pharmacology and Physiology, Oklahoma State University Center for Health Sciences, Tulsa, OK, United States
| | - Yan Zhang
- Intramural Research Program, National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Giovanni Barbera
- Intramural Research Program, National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Yun Li
- Department of Zoology and Physiology, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY, United States
| | - Da-Ting Lin
- Intramural Research Program, National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD, United States
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Sundström-Poromaa I, Comasco E, Sumner R, Luders E. Progesterone - Friend or foe? Front Neuroendocrinol 2020; 59:100856. [PMID: 32730861 DOI: 10.1016/j.yfrne.2020.100856] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2020] [Revised: 07/05/2020] [Accepted: 07/24/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Estradiol is the "prototypic" sex hormone of women. Yet, women have another sex hormone, which is often disregarded: Progesterone. The goal of this article is to provide a comprehensive review on progesterone, and its metabolite allopregnanolone, emphasizing three key areas: biological properties, main functions, and effects on mood in women. Recent years of intensive research on progesterone and allopregnanolone have paved the way for new treatment of postpartum depression. However, treatment for premenstrual syndrome and premenstrual dysphoric disorder as well as contraception that women can use without risking mental health problems are still needed. As far as progesterone is concerned, we might be dealing with a two-edged sword: while its metabolite allopregnanolone has been proven useful for treatment of PPD, it may trigger negative symptoms in women with PMS and PMDD. Overall, our current knowledge on the beneficial and harmful effects of progesterone is limited and further research is imperative.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Erika Comasco
- Department of Neuroscience, Science for Life Laboratory, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | | | - Eileen Luders
- School of Psychology, University of Auckland, New Zealand; Laboratory of Neuro Imaging, School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, USA
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Acharya KD, Nettles SA, Lichti CF, Warre-Cornish K, Polit LD, Srivastava DP, Denner L, Tetel MJ. Dopamine-induced interactions of female mouse hypothalamic proteins with progestin receptor-A in the absence of hormone. J Neuroendocrinol 2020; 32:e12904. [PMID: 33000549 PMCID: PMC7591852 DOI: 10.1111/jne.12904] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2020] [Revised: 08/24/2020] [Accepted: 08/25/2020] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Neural progestin receptors (PR) function in reproduction, neural development, neuroprotection, learning, memory and the anxiety response. In the absence of progestins, PR can be activated by dopamine (DA) in the rodent hypothalamus to elicit female sexual behaviour. The present study investigated mechanisms of DA activation of PR by testing the hypothesis that proteins from DA-treated hypothalami interact with PR in the absence of progestins. Ovariectomised, oestradiol-primed mice were infused with a D1-receptor agonist, SKF38393 (SKF), into the third ventricle 30 minutes prior to death. Proteins from SKF-treated hypothalami were pulled-down with glutathione S-transferase-tagged mouse PR-A or PR-B and the interactomes were analysed by mass spectrometry. The largest functional group to interact with PR-A in a DA-dependent manner was synaptic proteins. To test the hypothesis that DA activation of PR regulates synaptic proteins, we developed oestradiol-induced PR-expressing hypothalamic-like neurones derived from human-induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs). Similar to progesterone (P4), SKF treatment of hiPSCs increased synapsin1/2 expression. This SKF-dependent effect was blocked by the PR antagonist RU486, suggesting that PR are necessary for this DA-induced increase. The second largest DA-dependent PR-A protein interactome comprised metabolic regulators involved in glucose metabolism, lipid synthesis and mitochondrial energy production. Interestingly, hypothalamic proteins interacted with PR-A, but not PR-B, in an SKF-dependent manner, suggesting that DA promotes the interaction of multiple hypothalamic proteins with PR-A. These in vivo and in vitro results indicate novel mechanisms by which DA can differentially activate PR isoforms in the absence of P4 and provide a better understanding of ligand-independent PR activation in reproductive, metabolic and mental health disorders in women.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Cheryl F. Lichti
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, Washington University School of Medicine, 660 S Euclid Ave, St. Louis, MO 63110
| | - Katherine Warre-Cornish
- Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, The Maurice Wohl Clinical Neuroscience Institute, Institute of Psychiatry Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London, London, SE5 8AF, UK
- MRC Centre for Neurodevelopmental Disorders, King’s College London, London, UK
| | - Lucia Dutan Polit
- Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, The Maurice Wohl Clinical Neuroscience Institute, Institute of Psychiatry Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London, London, SE5 8AF, UK
- MRC Centre for Neurodevelopmental Disorders, King’s College London, London, UK
| | - Deepak P. Srivastava
- Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, The Maurice Wohl Clinical Neuroscience Institute, Institute of Psychiatry Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London, London, SE5 8AF, UK
- MRC Centre for Neurodevelopmental Disorders, King’s College London, London, UK
| | - Larry Denner
- Department of Internal Medicine, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX 77555
| | - Marc J. Tetel
- Neuroscience Department, Wellesley College, Wellesley, MA 02481
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Regulation of defeat-induced social avoidance by medial amygdala DRD1 in male and female prairie voles. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2020; 113:104542. [PMID: 31862611 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2019.104542] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2019] [Revised: 12/06/2019] [Accepted: 12/09/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Social interaction with unfamiliar individuals is necessary for species-preserving behaviors such as finding mates and establishing social groups. However, social conflict is a potential negative outcome to interaction with a stranger that can be distressing enough to cause an individual to later avoid interactions with other unfamiliar conspecifics. Unfortunately, stress research using a prominent model of social conflict, social defeat stress, has largely omitted female subjects. This has left a void in the literature regarding social strain on female stress biology and adequate comparison of the effect of sex in stress pathways. The prairie vole (Microtus ochrogaster) exhibits aggressive behavior in both sexes, making voles an attractive candidate to model social defeat in both sexes. This study sought to establish a model of social defeat stress in both male and female prairie voles, characterize behavioral changes in response to this stressor, and investigate the role of dopamine signaling in the response to social defeat stress. Defeated male and female prairie voles displayed social avoidance as well as an increase in the level of dopamine receptor D1 (DRD1) in the medial amygdala (MeA). Pharmacological manipulation of DRD1 signaling in the MeA revealed that increased DRD1 signaling is sufficient to induce a social avoidant state, and could be a necessary component in the defeat-induced social avoidance response. These findings provide the prairie vole as a model of social defeat in both sexes, and implicate the MeA in avoidance of unfamiliar conspecifics after a distressing social encounter.
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Rudzinskas SA, Williams KM, Mong JA, Holder MK. Sex, Drugs, and the Medial Amygdala: A Model of Enhanced Sexual Motivation in the Female Rat. Front Behav Neurosci 2019; 13:203. [PMID: 31551730 PMCID: PMC6746834 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2019.00203] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2019] [Accepted: 08/19/2019] [Indexed: 01/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Methamphetamine (METH) is a psychomotor stimulant that is reported to enhance sexual desire and behavior in both men and women, leading to increases in unplanned pregnancies, sexually-transmitted infections, and even comorbid psychiatric conditions. Here, we discuss our rodent model of increased sexually-motivated behaviors in which the co-administration of METH and the ovarian hormones, estradiol and progesterone, intensify the incentive properties of a sexual stimulus and increases measures of sexually-motivated behavior in the presence of an androgen-specific cue. We then present the neurobiological mechanisms by which this heightened motivational salience is mediated by the actions of METH and ovarian hormones, particularly progestins, in the posterodorsal medial nucleus of the amygdala (MePD), a key integration site for sexually-relevant sensory information with generalized arousal. We finally demonstrate the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying this facilitation of sexual motivation by METH, including the upregulation, increased phosphorylation, and activation of progestin receptors (PRs) in the MePD by METH in the presence of ovarian hormones. Taken together, this work extends our understanding of the neurobiology of female sexual motivation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah A Rudzinskas
- Program in Neuroscience, University of Maryland, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Katrina M Williams
- Department of Veterans Affairs, Geriatric Research Education and Clinical Center, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Jessica A Mong
- Program in Neuroscience, University of Maryland, Baltimore, MD, United States.,Department of Pharmacology, University of Maryland, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Mary K Holder
- School of Psychology, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, United States
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Jones SL, Rosenbaum S, Gardner Gregory J, Pfaus JG. Aromatization Is Not Required for the Facilitation of Appetitive Sexual Behaviors in Ovariectomized Rats Treated With Estradiol and Testosterone. Front Neurosci 2019; 13:798. [PMID: 31447629 PMCID: PMC6691068 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2019.00798] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2018] [Accepted: 07/17/2019] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Testosterone can be safely and effectively administered to estrogen-treated post-menopausal women experiencing hypoactive sexual desire. However, in the United States and Canada, although it is often administered off-label, testosterone co-administered with estradiol is not a federally approved treatment for sexual arousal/desire disorder, partly because its mechanism is poorly understood. One possible mechanism involves the aromatization of testosterone to estradiol. In an animal model, the administration of testosterone propionate (TP) given in combination with estradiol benzoate (EB) significantly increases sexually appetitive behaviors (i.e., solicitations and hops/darts) in ovariectomized (OVX) Long-Evans rats, compared to those treated with EB-alone. The goal of current study was to test whether blocking aromatization of testosterone to estradiol would disrupt the facilitation of sexual behaviors in OVX Long-Evans rats, and to determine group differences in Fos immunoreactivity within brain regions involved in sexual motivation and reward. Groups of sexually experienced OVX Long-Evans rats were treated with EB alone, EB+TP, or EB+TP and the aromatase inhibitor Fadrozole (EB+TP+FAD). Females treated with EB+TP+FAD displayed significantly more hops and darts, solicitations and lordosis magnitudes when compared to EB-alone females. Furthermore, TP, administered with or without FAD, induced the activation of Fos-immunoreactivity in brain areas implicated in sexual motivation and reward including the medial preoptic area, ventrolateral division of the ventromedial nucleus of the hypothalamus, the nucleus accumbens core, and the prefrontal cortex. These results suggest that aromatization may not be necessary for TP to enhance female sexual behavior and that EB+TP may act via androgenic pathways to increase the sensitivity of response to male-related cues, to induce female sexual desire.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sherri Lee Jones
- Department of Psychology, Center for Studies in Behavioral Neurobiology, Concordia University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Stephanie Rosenbaum
- Department of Psychology, Center for Studies in Behavioral Neurobiology, Concordia University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - James Gardner Gregory
- Department of Psychology, Center for Studies in Behavioral Neurobiology, Concordia University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - James G Pfaus
- Department of Psychology, Center for Studies in Behavioral Neurobiology, Concordia University, Montreal, QC, Canada
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Rudzinskas SA, Mong JA. Methamphetamine alters DNMT and HDAC activity in the posterior dorsal medial amygdala in an ovarian steroid-dependent manner. Neurosci Lett 2018; 683:125-130. [PMID: 29944893 PMCID: PMC6102075 DOI: 10.1016/j.neulet.2018.06.042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2018] [Revised: 05/14/2018] [Accepted: 06/22/2018] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Methamphetamine (Meth) is a psychomotor stimulant associated with increased sexual drive and risky sexual behaviors in both men and women. Females are comparatively understudied, despite the fact that are just as likely as men to use methamphetamine. Importantly, Meth-associated sexual behaviors put female-users at a greater risk for unplanned pregnancies, and increase the risk of psychiatric co-morbidities such as depression. Our work in a rodent model has demonstrated that in the presence of the ovarian steroids, estradiol (EB) and progesterone (P), methamphetamine facilitates the activation of neurons of in the Medial Amygdala (MePD) and Ventromedial Nucleus of the Hypothalamus (VMN), nuclei that are integral to female sexual behavior. As methamphetamine has been previously associated with epigenetic changes in males, we hypothesized that methamphetamine may facilitate sexual motivation in females by modulating the amount of epigenetic enzymatic activity in the VMN and MePD. To test this hypothesis, histone deacetylase (HDAC) and DNA methyltransferase (DNMT) activity was quantitated in both the VMN and MePD in the presence and absence of methamphetamine in femalerats who were ovariectomized (OVX), or OVXed and hormone replaced with EB + P. DMNT1 and DNMT3B protein levels were also assessed. Our results show that methamphetamine alters DNMT and HDAC activity in the MePD in an ovarian steroid-dependent fashion. Both methamphetamine alone and EB + P alone significantly reduce DNMT enzymatic activity in an OVX female, but do not further decrease activity when both are given in combination. In contrast, no changes in HDAC or DNMT activity were seen in the VMN regardless of treatment, but the amount of DNMT3b after methamphetamine was significantly altered depending on the presence or absence of ovarian steroids. Taken together, these results support the hypothesis that methamphetamine induces change on an epigenetic level in female rats in both a hormone and nucleus dependent manner, and suggests epigenetic changes may play a role in methamphetamine's mechanism to facilitate the sexual motivation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah A Rudzinskas
- Program in Neuroscience, University of Maryland, Baltimore, School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21201, United States; Department of Pharmacology, University of Maryland, Baltimore, School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21201, United States.
| | - Jessica A Mong
- Program in Neuroscience, University of Maryland, Baltimore, School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21201, United States; Department of Pharmacology, University of Maryland, Baltimore, School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21201, United States
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Boyette-Davis JA, Rice HR, Shoubaki RI, Gonzalez CM, Kunkel MN, Lucero DA, Womble PD, Guarraci FA. A recreational dose of methylphenidate, but not methamphetamine, decreases anxiety-like behavior in female rats. Neurosci Lett 2018; 682:21-26. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neulet.2018.06.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2018] [Revised: 06/01/2018] [Accepted: 06/05/2018] [Indexed: 10/14/2022]
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Abstract
Purpose Although research into the neurobiology of sexual desire in women is active, relatively little is understood about the origins of sexual motivation in women. The purpose of our review is to discuss factors that influence a central sexual motivate state and generalized arousal as potential drivers of sexual motivation in women and female rats. Recent Findings Sexual motivation is the product of interactions of the central motive state and salient sexually-relevant cues. Ovarian hormones and generalized arousal influence the central motive state, and endogenous levels of estradiol and progesterone correlate with sexual motivation and behavior in women. The amygdala is a key integratory site for generalized arousal and sexual sensory stimulation, which could then increase sexual motivation through its downstream projections. Summary Our model of enhanced female sexual motivation suggests that the combined effects of dopamine and progesterone receptor activation in the medial amygdala increases the incentive properties of a sexual stimulus. Further study into the interactions of ovarian hormones and mediators of generalized arousal on the processing of sexually-relevant cues informs our understanding of the neurobiology of female sexual motivation and could lead to the development of therapeutics to treat the dysfunctions of sexual desire in women.
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Du P, He Z, Cai Z, Hao X, Dong N, Yuan W, Hou W, Yang J, Jia R, Tai F. Chronic central oxytocin infusion impairs sociability in mandarin voles. Pharmacol Biochem Behav 2017; 161:38-46. [DOI: 10.1016/j.pbb.2017.09.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2017] [Revised: 09/09/2017] [Accepted: 09/11/2017] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
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12
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Guarraci FA, Meerts SH. Does Practice Make Perfect? Sexual Experience and Psychomotor Stimulants Influence Female Sexual Motivation Through Medial Preoptic Area Dopamine. CURRENT SEXUAL HEALTH REPORTS 2017. [DOI: 10.1007/s11930-017-0102-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
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Methamphetamine and Ovarian Steroid Responsive Cells in the Posteriodorsal Medial Amygdala are Required for Methamphetamine-enhanced Proceptive Behaviors. Sci Rep 2017; 7:39817. [PMID: 28045134 PMCID: PMC5206624 DOI: 10.1038/srep39817] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2016] [Accepted: 11/28/2016] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Methamphetamine (Meth) is a psychomotor stimulant strongly associated with increases in sexual drive and impulse in both men and women. These changes in sexual motivation have a greater impact on women due to their likelihood of facing the greater burden of unplanned pregnancies, as well as increased risk for psychiatric co-morbidities such as depression. We have previously established a rodent model of Meth-induced increases in sexual motivation. Using this model, we have identified the posteriodorsal medial amygdala (MePD) via excitotoxic lesion studies as a necessary nucleus in Meth-facilitated female sexual motivation. While lesion studies give us insight into key nuclei that may be targets of Meth action, such an approach does not give insight into the identity of the specific MePD neurons or neural circuitry involved in Meth-induced increases in proceptive behaviors. Using the DAUN02 inactivation method, a recently established technique for removing behaviorally relevant cell populations, we present evidence that the ovarian steroid/Meth responsive cells in the MePD are necessary for Meth-induced facilitation of proceptive behaviors. These findings form the basis for future work that will allow for the classification of neuronal subtypes involved in the MePD’s modulation of proceptive behavior as well as a stronger understanding of the neurocircuitry of female sexual motivation.
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Rudzinskas SA, Mong JA. Androgen-primed castrate males are sufficient for methamphetamine-facilitated increases in proceptive behavior in female rats. Horm Behav 2016; 78:52-9. [PMID: 26497407 PMCID: PMC4718754 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2015.10.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2015] [Revised: 10/16/2015] [Accepted: 10/19/2015] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Methamphetamine (MA) is a psychomotor stimulant associated with increases in sex drive in both men and women. Women, however, are far more likely to face social disadvantages as a consequence of MA use, and their increased sexual motivation poses additional health concerns such as unplanned pregnancies. To better understand the mechanisms underlying MA-facilitated sexual motivation in females, we previously established a rodent model where a "binge"-type administration paradigm of MA to sexually receptive female rats significantly increases proceptive behavior in the presence of a sexually active, gonadally-intact male. Our previous work with this model has led us to consider whether the increases in proceptive behavior are truly indicative of increased sexual motivation, or instead a consequence of heightened motor responsivity. Here, we test whether MA-induced increases in proceptive behaviors are specific to a sexually relevant stimulus. Females' sexual, social, exploratory behaviors, and interaction times were scored during the exposure to stimulus males, including castrates, and dihydrotestosterone (DHT)-treated castrates. MA-treated females demonstrated significant increases in proceptive behaviors toward DHT-treated castrate males but not toward castrate males. While the non-MA-treated females did display proceptive behavior, there was no significant difference between behaviors elicited by DHT-CX males compared to CX males. Our results support the hypothesis that MA facilitates proceptive behavior only in response to specific, androgen mediated sexually-relevant cues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah A Rudzinskas
- Program in Neuroscience, University of Maryland, Baltimore, School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA; Department of Pharmacology, University of Maryland, Baltimore, School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA
| | - Jessica A Mong
- Program in Neuroscience, University of Maryland, Baltimore, School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA; Department of Pharmacology, University of Maryland, Baltimore, School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA
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